California's Van's Rushing to Finish Skate Park

ORLANDO-Reacting to a relatively new commercial real estate development category, Van’s Inc. of Santa Fe Springs, CA is rushing to complete a 50,000-sf air-conditioned indoor skate park and an adjoining 10,000-sf outdoor skate park at the under-construction, 1.1 million-sf Festival Bay shopping center at the north end of tourist-intense International Drive in south Orlando.

Van’s is shooting for a Dec. 15 opening which will make the recreational equipment retailer of skateboards, inline skates and bicycles the first commercial player on the Central Florida block of extreme sports facilities. Skaters would pay by the hour, week or membership to use the facilities.

Van’s officials couldn’t be reached at GlobeSt.com’s publication deadline to learn construction costs. But construction industry estimators tell GlobeSt.com both parks will probably be built at about $80 per sf or $5 million total. Van’s also plans to operate a retail store at the facilities.